


Soulmate Tattoo Removal

by shinef0rever



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Angst with a Happy Ending, I'm Sorry, M/M, but it's, please read the notes, soulmate tattoo, this is angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-21 19:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18146138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinef0rever/pseuds/shinef0rever
Summary: “I’m here for a soulmate tattoo removal.”Changkyun had heard that sentence quite a few times during the years his tattoo parlour had been open for business, and he had done many removals. However, every time he heard someone say that sentence he could feel his heart skip a beat. He, too, had a soulmate tattoo on his skin, and the words that were inked on his shoulder were “I’m here for a soulmate tattoo removal.”





	Soulmate Tattoo Removal

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to have a sad ending but i couldn't do it, i'm weak for changki.  
> a huge thanks to [Ela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yikeslikenikes/pseuds/yikeslikenikes) for beta reading this mess! and to the mbb blood pact, y'all are the real mvps, thank you for hyping me up.  
> TW: description of a small panic attack - it's at the end of the 5th section.  
> 

“I’m here for a soulmate tattoo removal.”

 

Changkyun had heard that sentence quite a few times during the years his tattoo parlour had been open for business, and he had done many removals. However, every time he heard someone say that sentence he could feel his heart skip a beat. And it wasn’t just because it saddened him to see a client wanting to erase the ink that once meant something for them. In a society where the first words that your soulmate would say to you were inked on your body, being able to remove those words was a very, very rare skill, but also one which Changkyun wished he didn’t have. He, too, had a soulmate tattoo on his skin, and the words that were inked on his right shoulder were “I’m here for a soulmate tattoo removal.”

He looked up to the person who had spoken. His shoulder didn’t itch, so he knew he wasn’t facing his soulmate. Nodding, he opened the notebook with the appointments. “Does next Thursday morning work for you, sir?” he asked, checking his availability for said date. “At eleven thirty?”

 

“Yes, that’s perfect, thank you,” was the reply.

 

“See you then, have a good day!”

 

When the client had left, Changkyun sighed loudly. He had a reputation for being able to erase soulmate marks, and he had mixed feelings about it. He often wondered about his soulmate and everything that surrounded his identity. Why would they want a tattoo removal? Did they know the process hurt like hell, because it was basically eliminating a little piece of the other person’s soul? Would they still want it gone after they had realised their soulmate was the tattoo artist in front of them? What were the words he’d have to erase? Every time a client had had a removal, Changkyun would go to bed asking himself those questions.

 

***

 

"I'm here for a soulmate tattoo removal," a new client said. Changkyun stopped in the middle of opening the book of appointments because his shoulder was itching a bit. He looked at the boy in front of him. He was handsome, with light brown hair and bright eyes. He seemed to be wearing makeup, and Changkyun wondered if he was an actor, or an idol. He could totally be either. Changkyun sighed as he stood up, signalling the customer to follow him to a free room without saying a word. The sooner they got over it, the better. However, the customer stopped Changkyun with a hand movement.

"I can't do it today, can it be next week? I have a press conference and I can't be late or... you know, look injured," he said, running a hand through his hair. “There’d be gossip.” Changkyun opened the book of appointments on the following week and turned it to the customer so he'd chose a date.

“I’m free next Friday at six in the afternoon,” the client said. He took the pen Changkyun was handing to him and wrote his name on the book. Yoo Kihyun. Changkyun closed the book, then bowed his head slightly and waved at the boy with a half-smile, hoping he’d just leave without asking anything that would require him to speak. He didn’t know what words were inked on Yoo Kihyun’s body, and he didn’t want to risk saying anything. The boy wanted the removal for a reason and, as painful as it was for Changkyun, he had to respect his decision. Thankfully, Yoo Kihyun bowed his head too, waved him goodbye and left.

 

***

 

“Why on earth didn’t you say something to him?” Changkyun was being scolded by his best friend, Jooheon. They were both at the parlour. Jooheon didn’t work with Changkyun, but he was helpful so he was allowed to hang out there from time to time. They were sitting on the floor, carefully going through the contents of a cardboard box, checking the new equipment.

 

“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to, hyung.”

 

“Bullshit. You were scared, and I mean, that’s normal, I understand. But still.” Jooheon took a sealed box of needles and put it inside a drawer. “You should have said something. He’s your soulmate!”

 

“He doesn’t want a soulmate, in fact he specifically came here to make the tattoo disappear. Why would I say words to him, knowing that?” Changkyun felt tears forming on his eyes. “I’ve always known my soulmate would not want me, hyung. It’s okay, I’ve accepted it.”

 

“Changkyun…”

 

“I said it’s okay. I’ve had plenty of time to think this over, you know.” Changkyun lifted the now empty cardboard box and put it next to the back door. “I won’t say anything to him, nothing at all. He’ll never know!”

 

“Changkyun, that’s going to be hard. You’ll be with him for at least two hours erasing the tattoo, you’ll see the words and you’ll want to say them. Nobody can resist talking to their soulmates, even less if they know what the words are.”

 

“I’ll fight it, Jooheon, I’ll fight with all my might and I’ll keep my mouth shout so I don’t say anything and he leaves without knowing, I can do it, I have to, I-”

 

“Breathe, kid, breathe!”  Jooheon noticed the tears falling from Changkyun’s eyes and he rushed to hug the boy. “Do you want me to stop by after you’re done on Friday? I’ll bring dinner,” he said, caressing Changkyun’s hair softly.

 

“Don’t worry, I think I’ll want to be alone after it’s all over.” The younger boy took a step back and smiled. “Thanks, though. We can meet another day.”

 

Jooheon sighed. Changkyun’s smile hadn’t reached his eyes, and he knew his best friend well enough to notice when the boy wasn’t okay, but he didn’t push. It was a delicate matter and he was unsure about what to do. He had found his soulmate a couple of years ago and it had been quite easy, so he didn't really know what advice he could give the younger. Changkyun insisted that everything was fine, so Jooheon respected that. “If you need anything please let me know, I’m here for you,” he said.

 

“Will do, hyung, thanks.” Changkyun walked him out, but Jooheon left only after the younger boy agreed to meet him on Saturday for dinner.

 

***

  


To say Changkyun was nervous would be an understatement. He had been holding up fine during the week, save the occasional existential crisis that happened every time he’d remember Friday’s appointment, but today was D-Day. As the clock neared the time Yoo Kihyun was scheduled to appear, Changkyun felt more and more lightheaded. He sat down between sessions, drinking calming tea or doing breathing exercises to keep his mind clear. It didn’t succeed on making him feel relaxed but at least he was doing something to keep his mind busy.

Five minutes before six, the door opened and Yoo Kihyun entered the parlour. He was wearing a light jacket, covering what looked like a tank top, and ripped denim jeans. Changkyun took a deep breath, finished the glass of water he had on his hand and stood up. He opened the door to the room where he did the removals and waited for the boy to enter. Once he was inside, Changkyun handed him a pen and the consent form, which consisted of a couple of pages detailing the process, the possible side effects, and a note that clarified that the tattoo artist was not accountable for any reappearance of the removed words. He had been really thorough when he wrote the form, in fact he had had Minhyuk, Jooheon's soulmate, proof-read it before he printed it - because he was a lawyer. He didn’t expect Yoo Kihyun to read it so carefully, but he did, following the lines with the back of the pen and frowning from time to time. A few times, it looked as if he was going to ask Changkyun a question, but no words left his mouth. Relieved, Changkyun continued preparing the needle and the liquid he was going to be using for the process. He sat down at the chair and waited for Yoo Kihyun to show him the tattoo.

 

“You’re not deaf, are you?” asked the customer suddenly. Changkyun looked up, eyebrows raised. Changkyun shook his head. “I guess you’re just shy, then?” he smiled. Changkyun shrugged and kept his head low. He could pretend to be extremely shy. It wouldn’t be a problem with the way the situation was making him feel. Yoo Kihyun took off his jacket and hanged it behind the door, then sat next to Changkyun and pointed to his forearm. “Here, these are the words I want removed.”

 

Changkyun felt like his lungs were on fire and his heart had stopped. His tongue was aching to say those words. He covered his mouth with a mask to help him resist the urge to speak better. With a shaky breath, he started the process, stopping from time to time to let Yoo Kihyun adjust to the feeling.

 

“It hurts,” commented the boy after a while. “I knew it would, I just…. I figured it would be similar to getting a tattoo.” Changkyun frowned, looking up from the tattoo. “Yeah, I read the form, but it’s worse than I imagined.” Changkyun shrugged.

His mouth was itchy, and so were the words his shoulder, but he had to keep going. He knew Yoo Kihyun was tearing up. Customers always teared up while having the soulmate mark erased, it was a powerful bond being severed so of course it made them cry. He felt tears forming on his eyes as he saw how the words disappeared little by little, and couldn’t help but wonder if the other halves of the people who got their marks removed also felt the sadness and pain he was feeling. ‘It’s my job, it’s just a job,’ he thought while pressing the needle to his soon to be ex-soulmate’s skin. Breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in. Changkyun felt Yoo Kihyun’s hand on his right shoulder, so he stopped. The boy was shaking, tears running down his face, and Changkyun stood up to bring him a box of tissues.

 

“Thanks,” he said, taking the box and using a couple of them right away. “Do you have a soulmate?” he inquired as he placed the crumpled tissues on his lap. Changkyun nodded, but still said nothing. He exhaled through his nose and sat back down. The rest of the session was spent in silence.

 

***

 

“There, you no longer have a soulmate.” Changkyun took his hand to his mouth as soon as the words left his mouth, wide eyed. Yoo Kihyun was looking at his arm, admiring the result, so he missed the look on Changkyun’s face.

 

“Yes, thanks to you. You did a good job,” he replied with a faint smile.  “You’re as good as they say,” he put his jacket on and walked out of the room. Changkyun followed him to the entrance, went behind the cashier desk and pulled the bill. There were still tears on his eyes, so he hurried up to clean them with his hands before the client noticed. He payed, thanked him with a handshake and a warm smile, and bowed before leaving the parlour.

 

When he was gone, Changkyun sat on the floor, breathing fast and gripping his shirt above his heart, which was racing. He cried for hours, until it was dark outside. He dragged himself towards the main door to lock it, then dragged himself to the room where his soulmate (ex-soulmate) had been earlier. He felt tears form again, and he closed the door without standing up. He cried some more. He didn’t feel hunger but he felt tired so he crawled to the sofa on the waiting room and climbed on it to rest.

 

***

 

The following morning, Changkyun woke up to twelve missed calls from Jooheon, three from Minhyuk, and at least a hundred texts from both. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed out. He typed a “call me” on Jooheon’s chat and stood up to go to the bathroom. He picked up the phone after rinsing his face with water.

 

“How are you?” Jooheon sounded worried.

 

“I just woke up, I fell asleep at the parlour,” he replied.

 

“That’s not an answer.” There was a silence. “Changkyun,” the older boy said with a serious tone, “you can tell me.”

 

“It hurt like hell and I cried myself to sleep.”

 

“I’m going over, I’m guessing you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

 

“It’s okay, hyung-“

 

“No! It’s not and it will take a while to be, so let me help.”

 

Changkyun swallowed and replied with a small voice, “Okay, hyung.”

 

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” They hung up.

 

Changkyun cleaned up the room he had used yesterday, trying to breathe as little as possible. He disposed the needle and cleaned the machine, then wiped the floor and threw the tissues in the bin of the waiting room.

 

There was a knock on the door. He opened up, thinking it’d be Jooheon, but he was surprised to find Yoo Kihyun standing there, with a strange look on his face.

 

“You,” he said, entering the shop, “what was it that you said when you finished yesterday?” Changkyun took a good look at him. There were dark circles under his eyes, he was not wearing any make-up, and his hair was a bit tousled. It looked as if his night had been as bad as Changkyun’s.

The tattoo artist blinked a couple of times before answering the question. “There, you no longer have a soulmate.”

Yoo Kihyun started to cry. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” he asked, lightly hitting Changkyun’s chest. The tattoo artist shrugged. He was crying as well.

“I wanted to have it removed because my manager said I should. Idols can’t really show off our marks, it’s not good for our image. Besides, I thought my tattoo was a sign that meant the person who was my soulmate did not want me, I agreed. So I came here and-“ Yoo Kihyun gasped. “The words, your words. You also thought your soulmate wouldn’t want you, right?”

 

“Yes,” Changkyun said with a soft, small voice. “I often wondered what my sentence could be so that someone would want to remove it,” he chuckled. “When I saw it, everything made sense.”

 

“You should have said something,” the other boy said, shaking his head, “you should have just read the words and say it was a stupid sentence, so that it would have itched. Then, I wouldn’t have wanted to remove it.”

 

“I thought you had made up your mind and I shouldn’t interfere,” mumbled Changkyun, looking at the floor. “It hurt to make them disappear but I truly thought it’d be for the best, since it was your choice. I didn’t see how anything I said would make a difference.”

 

“It would have. I clearly didn’t think this all through!” The boy crossed his arms over his chest. “Also, allow me to tell you that I withdraw my words from yesterday. You don’t live up to your reputation. Look,” he said, showing his bare arm to Changkyun, who gasped. The words were back, a faint trace of the sentence on the forearm of the boy. “I couldn’t sleep at all last night, I kept seeing your face every time I closed my eyes, until I remembered you said those words!” Yoo Kihyun was smiling, despite everything that had happened. “We didn’t get to a very good start, but I’d like to ask you for a second chance?” there was hope on his voice as ke took a step forward to take Changkyun’s hand on his.

 

“I’m Im Changkyun,” he said, shaking the other’s hand. “I worry a lot but keep it to myself, which leads to misunderstandings from time to time. I’m 23 years old. I’d love to give you a second chance, if you want me.”

 

“Kihyun, I’m a model and an aspiring singer. I’m 26. Now, close the parlour for today and let me take you on a date.”

 

***

 

“Hyung, I’m sorry I left the shop, I swear I’ll explain everything later. Tell Minhyuk to stop screaming. I’m fine, for real this time.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! feedback is appreciated.
> 
> you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/shinef0rever_).


End file.
